1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for producing L-amino acids by fermentation. L-amino acids are widely used for drugs, feed, foodstuffs and so forth.
2. Related Art
As methods for producing amino acids from saccharides as a carbon source by utilizing microorganisms, there are known a method utilizing microorganisms of the genus Brevibacterium (Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 51-19186/1976), a method utilizing microorganisms of the genus Escherichia (Japanese Patent Application No. 7-516087/1995) and so forth. Further, as methods for producing amino acids from methanol as a carbon source by utilizing microorganisms, there are known a method utilizing microorganisms of the genus Achromobacter, Pseudomonas or the like (Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-25273/1970) and so forth.
So far, however, no method has been known for producing L-amino acids from methane as a carbon source by utilizing microorganisms.